Highlights
- Environment: 2024 became the warmest year on record globally at 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Over 200 days exceeded the 1.5-degree threshold.
- History: Madan Mohan Malviya's birth anniversary (25 December 1861) is celebrated as Good Governance Day. He founded the Banaras Hindu University in 1916 and coined "Satyamev Jayate."
- Agriculture: The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) was showcased for its impact on women farmers in West Bengal's Jhargram district.
- Geography: Ken-Betwa River Link Project, India's first inter-river linking project, was highlighted.
1. 2024: The Warmest Year on Record
GS area: Environment
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) of the European Union confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year in recorded history.
- Temperature record: 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline (1850-1900 average).
- Threshold breach frequency: Over 200 days in 2024 exceeded the 1.5-degree threshold, compared to 173 days in 2023.
- Paris Agreement context: The Paris Agreement aims to limit warming to "well below 2 degrees Celsius" and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees. A single year exceeding 1.5 does not mean the Paris target is breached (the Agreement refers to long-term averages), but it signals the trend.
- Global emissions gap: Only a 2 per cent reduction in global emissions was achieved in 2024. A 43 per cent reduction by 2030 is needed to stay on a 1.5-degree pathway, according to UNEP's Emissions Gap Report.
- El Niño contribution: The 2023-24 El Niño event raised global sea surface temperatures, amplifying warming. El Niño periods are typically the hottest years on record.
- Hottest years on record (all recent): 2024 (hottest), 2023, 2016, 2020, 2019 dominate the top rankings.
Static linkage: Environment (climate change, Paris Agreement, IPCC, Copernicus).
2. Madan Mohan Malviya: Good Governance Day
GS area: Modern Indian History, Governance
25 December marks the birth anniversary of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya (1861-1946). It is observed as Good Governance Day (Sushashan Diwas).
- Indian National Congress: He served as INC President in four sessions: 1909, 1913, 1919 and 1932. Most leaders presided once.
- Banaras Hindu University: Founded in 1916 in Varanasi. Among the largest residential universities in Asia.
- "Satyamev Jayate": Malviya coined this phrase (derived from the Mundaka Upanishad). It was adopted as India's national motto.
- Publications: Founded The Leader and Abhyudaya (newspapers) and Maryada (magazine) for nationalist education.
- Pen names: "Makarand" for poetry; Gandhi called him "Mahamana" (the great soul).
- Bharat Ratna: Awarded posthumously in 2015.
- Good Governance Day: Declared by the Government of India in 2014 to coincide with Malviya's birth anniversary and to promote awareness of good governance among citizens.
Static linkage: Modern Indian history (freedom movement, BHU, Congress leaders).
3. Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Women Farmers
GS area: Agriculture, Government Schemes, Society
The Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) was highlighted for its impact on women farmers in Jhargram district, West Bengal.
- PKVY: A sub-scheme of the Soil Health Management component under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). Launched in 2015.
- Objective: Promote cluster-based organic farming and certification to improve soil health and farmer income.
- Cluster approach: Farmers in clusters of 50 (5 hectares each) adopt organic methods collectively.
- Financial support: 50,000 rupees per hectare over three years for inputs, certification and value addition.
- Jhargram impact: Women Self-Help Groups adopted PKVY, reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers and gaining economic independence through organic certification premium prices.
- Certification: Third-party organic certification enables premium pricing. Products certified under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) for local sales.
Static linkage: Agriculture (organic farming, PKVY, NMSA), government schemes.
4. Ken-Betwa River Link: India's First River Linking
GS area: Geography, Environment
The Ken-Betwa River Link Project (KBLP) was in the implementation phase as of December 2024.
- Status: India's first inter-basin water transfer project under the National River Linking Project.
- Cost: 44,605 crore rupees.
- Coverage: Irrigates about 8 lakh hectares in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- Ken River: A tributary of the Yamuna, flows through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- Betwa River: Also a Yamuna tributary, flows through Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- Transfer logic: Ken basin has surplus water in certain years. Betwa basin is perennially water-stressed (Bundelkhand drought region).
- Ecological concern: The transfer tunnel and reservoir pass through the Panna Tiger Reserve. The National Green Tribunal scrutinised the project's impact on tiger corridors.
- Water agreement: Both states signed a Memorandum of Agreement in 2021 with the Centre.
Static linkage: Geography (Ken-Betwa, Bundelkhand, Yamuna tributaries), environment.
5. Quantum Computing: Prelims Essentials
GS area: Science and Technology
Quantum computing entered the news through several announcements in December 2024, including India's quantum satellite plans.
- Classical vs quantum bits: Classical computers use bits (0 or 1). Quantum computers use qubits, which can exist in superposition (both 0 and 1 simultaneously until measured).
- Advantages: Exponentially faster for specific problem types (cryptography breaking, drug discovery, logistics optimisation).
- Challenges: Qubits are fragile (decoherence from temperature fluctuations, electromagnetic interference). Error rates are high. Require near-absolute-zero temperatures.
- India's National Quantum Mission: 6,003.65 crore rupees over 2023-2031. Aims for 50 to 1,000 qubit computers, quantum communication networks and quantum sensing.
- Global leaders: USA (IBM, Google, Microsoft), China (with a strategic edge in quantum satellites), EU (Quantum Flagship programme).
Static linkage: Science and technology (quantum computing, National Quantum Mission).
6. Lion-Tailed Macaque: Conservation Status
GS area: Environment
The Lion-Tailed Macaque, a flagship species of the Western Ghats, was highlighted in December 2024.
- Scientific name: Macaca silenus.
- Appearance: Black body with a silver mane around the face (lion-like). Grey tail with a tuft.
- Distribution: Endemic to fragmented forest patches in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the Western Ghats.
- IUCN status: Endangered.
- CITES: Listed under Appendix I (commercial trade banned).
- Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule I (highest protection).
- Threats: Habitat fragmentation from dams, plantations and roads; hunting; electrocution from power lines.
- Conservation: Kerala and Tamil Nadu's Anamalai Tiger Reserve serves as a key habitat.
Static linkage: Environment (Western Ghats biodiversity, primates, IUCN).
7. Briefly noted
- Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: One of the world's most active volcanoes, located on the Big Island of Hawaii. Shield volcano type (broad, gently sloping). Part of the Hawaiian hot spot chain. Significant eruptions in 2024 continued.
- Dodo (Raphus cucullatus): The flightless bird extinct since 1681 was in the news following genetic studies on de-extinction possibilities. Native to Mauritius. Related to modern pigeons. Symbol of human-caused extinction.
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